designSynology have improved this case and it is great to see the new 2-Bay chassis being utilised. The device arrives with much better specs than the DS216 before it and with almost double the stats and an 64bit Chip, the DS218 is an impressive starter NAS.featuresEasily the best standard 2-Bay NAS synology have released. If your budget is tight, then this is possible the best price vs power NAS out there, supporting almost every application and NAS task you need. Though Plex Transcoding is not really an option - though native transcoding is more than possible. performanceThe improved Realtek CPU and DDR4 memory mean that options like 4k, transcoding natively and most file level network applications are conducted very well.valueAll in all, the best standard class NAS from Synology we have seen in a few years. Recommended for Surveillance, backups, file level access and sharing files easily - this si a good, solid NAS.

designThose familiar with NAS may find the unit a little limiting - but for the budget and the hardware, it is still quite a bargain.featuresThe lack of an intel / x86 based CPU, mean that transcoding in plex is not really an option.performanceIt will stumble a little with higher end / dense multimedia applications.valueIf your budget can allow it, we recommend the DS218+ unit as it will give you far higher power at your finger tips

General Performance

The DS218 unlike the TS-251+-2G is made by Synology. People often choose Synology because of user friendly interface as well as being suited for Mac and Windows based environments. It is relatively easy to set up and use, and those who are new to Network Attached Storage are advised to go for the Synology. Unlike the TS-251+-2G this box has the Realtek RTD1296 64-bit Quad Core 1.4 GHz processor. With its 64bit processor, this box should have no trouble transcoding your videos up to 1080P via the native MANUFACTURER apps. Just like the TS-251+-2G this box has 2GB RAM.

About Connections

There is one LAN port on this box, making it a simple home NAS. Two USB3 ports on this Synology is offering you up to 5Gb/s transfer speeds of external devices. It is fast enough to get your files through fairly quickly with this speed and make backing up with an external drive or Apple Time Machine a quick and easy process.

About Usage

With two bay unit you are having additional advantages. You may choose your box to be set up as JBOD, RAID0 or RAID1.
RAID 0 would be good for non-critical storage of data when you need it to read and written at high speeds. It could give you good performance. Besides you can still access your documents or media files over your private network or even internet.

Price And Warranty

This box comes with 2 year warranty for your peace of mind and long term hardware security. This Synology is £49.00 cheaper than the most expensive unit TS-251+-2G.

designSecond only to the QNAP TS-253A, the QNAP TS-251+ is one of the best 2-bay NAS units from QNAP in the market this 2016. The design is the result of years of chassis design in previous unit and is very easy on the eye. A good combination of plastic and metal throughout where it counts.featuresWith the exception of 4K transcoding and AES-NI level encryption, this NAS can do everything! Of course if you want things done to an enterprise level, then you should go for some bigger units, but you will be hard pushed to find a better 2 bay NAS for Plex Media Server NAS use, Virtual Machines and All things NAS - particularly at just over £200 to buy this NASperformanceAgain, easily a front runner in the 2-BAY NAS market for performance across all NAS use types. In this league of excellence you will find the QNAP TS-253A-4G and the Synology DS716+ NAS. Any of these 3 NAS devices will give you first class Network Attached Storage performance.valueFor just over £200 you will be hard pushed to find a better 2-bay NAS. Add to that the ever versatile QNAP operating system and the wealth of features that it offers. If you haven't already ordered this NAS - PUT IT IN YOUR BASKET NOW!

designOnly available in Black/Grey - So you Mac fans of everything in brushed silver or white will be disappointedfeaturesJust the lack of AES-NI encryption to speed up encrypted data transmissions is missing.performanceThe only remark I can make about performance is that it is only slightly (and I really mean slightly...like teeny tiny) less user-friendly than the Synology DS716+valueSuited to all operating systems but those in the Mac community might want to cast a glance at the Synology DS716+ first.

General Performance

The TS-251+-2G unlike the DS218 is made by Qnap. By choosing Qnap people expect to see advanced configurations opportunities as well as innovative and more diverse business applications. You are able to customize the TS-251+-2G to your needs. Unlike the DS218 this box has the Intel Celeron J1900 2.0GHz Quad Core (up to 2.42GHz) processor. With its 2.0GHZ processor, this box should have no trouble transcoding your videos up to 1080P via the native MANUFACTURER apps. Just like the DS218 this box has 2GB RAM.

About Connections

At the back of the box you will find HDMI port which will let you connect it to TV or monitor. In this case you are not limited to network speeds. There are two LAN ports on this box, making it a good home or small business NAS as you can utilise Link Aggregation and Failover support. Two USB3 ports on this Qnap is offering you up to 5Gb/s transfer speeds of external devices. It is fast enough to get your files through fairly quickly with this speed and make backing up with an external drive or Apple Time Machine a quick and easy process. Sometimes when your business grows, you might consider getting a box with expansion capabilities. With this box you have all opportunities to do so. You might want to contact one of our tech guys to find out more.

About Usage

With two bay unit you are having additional advantages. You may choose your box to be set up as JBOD, RAID0 or RAID1.
RAID 0 would be good for non-critical storage of data when you need it to read and written at high speeds. It could give you good performance. Besides you can still access your documents or media files over your private network or even internet. You may install Plex Media Server on this box. Plex lets you easily create a feature rich and practical home media playback system. Some boxes offer real time transcoding functionality. That let you stream your media hustle free, based on your device speed or screen size. Please contact us to find transcoding compatibility list.

Price And Warranty

This box comes with 2 year warranty for your peace of mind and long term hardware security. This is the most expensive box with the price tag £260.00.